New Orleans Saints cornerback Tracy Porter has sprained MCL

In a season in which they seem to be catching all the right breaks, the New Orleans Saints caught another one today.

Or at least they avoided one.

View full size(Times-Picayune/Brett Duke)New Orleans Saints' Tracy Porter is helped up from the field at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis on Sunday.

After early speculation that starting right cornerback Tracy Porter
had suffered an ACL injury on Sunday, Saints Coach Sean Payton said
today that Porter's injury is less severe.

Porter sprained his left medial collateral ligament in the 28-23 victory over the St. Louis Rams.

Payton did not give a timetable for Porter's return but other
players on the Saints' roster who have had similar injuries were out
four to six weeks.

"He does not have an ACL; he does not need surgery," Payton said. "I
don't have a time frame on it, but it's an MCL and that's great news.

"You never know until you have an MRI, and we were obviously excited
for him. He was down yesterday because he had gone through an injury
that took him out of the season last year and he's been playing so
well. So that's good news."

Porter, a second-year player out of Indiana, was hurt when he was
accidentally leg-whipped by teammate Usama Young as both players were
trying to make a tackle.

The Saints played the fourth quarter without three of the four
members of their starting secondary. Cornerback Jabari Greer was out
with an injured groin and safety Darren Sharper missed the game with a
knee injury. Strong safety Roman Harper was the only regular member of
the starting secondary on the field. Randall Gay started in place of
Greer and rookie Malcolm Jenkins filled in for Porter.

Both Payton and Greer are hopeful Greer will be able to return for Sunday's game at Tampa Bay.

"I do feel good (about returning this week)," Greer said. "We are
going to continue to monitor it. The guys in the training room are
doing a good job of getting me prepared. So hopefully we can knock this
thing out and get back out there and play."